The Indian Springs Dance club:

The Bandleader, Drummer and

DJ's Guide To Playing Music for
Ballroom Dancing and "Society" Gigs

By
Benjamin Franklin Jacoby
benjacoby1@mrk-inc.com
(Copyright October, 2002)
(Revised January 11. 2005)
(Revised June , 2018)
 A labor of love!

The following book has been a labor of love. Its purpose is to help bandleaders and
drummers improve their dance music rather than to make money by sales of this book. Therefore,
fair use is permitted for interested persons who may download a free copy for student or research
uses. However, commercial use requires permission of author. Commercial applications ARE
encouraged! The author can be contacted at the email address listed on the cover page .

Additional copies of this book and others in a pdf file can be downloaded from my so-called
website: www.drbengenius.com. To download simply click on the appropriate topic found
under the titles on the first page and proceed as usual.

Enjoy!

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Introduction
I've played music for over 40 years. I began with piano lessons for years and then
switched to upright bass and drums when my efforts at piano proved less than stellar. My
dad was a drummer so it wasn't a big thing to switch. It was a lot like the old joke about
the kid who takes bass lessons: After the first lesson his dad asks him what he learned
today. "The first three notes of the E string" was the reply. After the second week, the
reply was " The first three notes of the A string". And on the third week, it was "The first
three notes of the D string. On the forth week when kid comes in, his dad says, "I suppose
today you learned the first three notes of the G string?" and the kid replies, "Naw, I blew
off lessons today because I had a gig!" And that was pretty much me. Nobody has ever
paid money to hear me play piano, but I had plenty of drum or bass gigs from high school
on. I played professionally around the Cleveland area for years.
But like many musicians, I was never much of a dancer. I recall my high school girl
friend trying in vain to teach me a couple of basic swing steps. The senior prom was a
disaster dance-wise! Reminds me of the joke of the girl at the party who sees this guy
sitting out on the fountain in the yard. So she goes over to try and strike up a
conversation. But try as she might to converse with the guy about all she can get is a
grunt of two out of him. Finally, she gives up in disgust and goes inside. And there by the
punch bowl she runs into another guy and tries to strike up a conversation with him. Much
to her amazement all she can get is a grunt of two out him just like the guy on the
fountain! So she grabs him by the hand saying, "I know a guy you've just got to meet!"
and drags him out to the fountain. So the two guys sit there on the fountain for maybe 20
minutes not saying a word when finally the first guy says to the new guy, "So, what's your
favorite snare drum?"
But it's not just musicians who aren't dancers, it's men who often have great inertia
when it comes to learning to dance. There's a cartoon cut out of the newspaper funny
page on the wall at a local dance studio that sums it up. It shows these couples at
"beginning dance lessons" and all the women have these huge grins and all the men have
great big frowns! And yeah, that was me! Late in life, I got dragged to a dance studio for
lessons and like most men, after a bit the frown left and I've been enjoying dancing ever
since. I've even performed on stage. In fact, being a drummer is a great advantage. When
I was a dance newbie, people used to ask me how it was that I was such a good dancer
when I hadn't been dancing very long and I'd say, "I cheat. I play drums!"
So this is how I crossed that bridge from music to dancing, but many musicians
never do. My dad never did. And the odd thing is as musicians we are often called upon
to make music for dancing and yet very few musicians seem know much about what
dancers want or need in music. This little book was written to help cross that bridge. This
book is not about music and it's not about dancing, but rather is about that region which is
the intersection of the two art forms. And dare I say it? It is in that intersection where it all
happens! When the dancer-musician connection fails, the whole event fails.

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A dialog about music for dancing

Hey. We've been playing dance music for many years and people love our band, so
why do you think we need some kind of "lessons"?

It's like this: most musicians form a band to specialize in a certain type of music
and usually after a while you get pretty good at what you do. If you are a big band you get
pretty good at foxtrot and swing, if you are a polka band you can rock the Italian-American
club, if you are a rock band you know how to get booty shaking. This little book is NOT
about telling you how to do what you already know how to do. This book is about widening
your horizons. The kind of dancing we are talking about here covers an amazing spectrum
of musical styles so being good at just your own thing isn't going to cut it. If you have the
idea, for example, that "Latin" is a dance style you need this book badly! There is no
generic "Latin" dance! One can dance a Cha Cha, a Mambo (Salsa), a Merengue, a
Tango*, a Rumba, a Bolero or a Samba and all are "Latin" but each is a separate dance
style with separate needs and rhythms! So if you announce "Here's a nice Latin number"
and play some "generic" Latin tune, you are really announcing to the dancers, "I'm
clueless!" [* Actually, dancers class Tango as “smooth” but here we will class it by the music]

Well what exactly is "ballroom" dancing and what do you mean by "society" gig?

When you say "music for dancing" most people tend to think of the rock or disco
based music found in nightclubs. Such dancing is usually of a rock or "disco" flavor and is
typically danced "freestyle" which means that he and she just stand separately on the floor
and do their own thing. Good dancers do things derived from Hip Hop but many people
you see out, tend to dance using whatever moves come out. (usually, it means you wiggle
your butt, but your feet never move! ) The slow tunes are danced nightclub style, which
also means you just wiggle… except done slowly in a clinch.
Ballroom dance, on the other hand is derived from the big band era of the 30's and
40's with some roots going back centuries to old Vienna or African-derived folkloric
rhythms of South and Central America. From the foxtrot and swing of the big bands
through the years, various fads including a wide variety of Latin dances like Rumba and
Tango have been added to the collection. Today old school big band swing has returned
as something of a fad. But today's ballroom dancing or as termed "DanceSport" by the
folks pushing dancing for the summer Olympics, is rather adapted and stylized compared
to the original folk rhythms and dances. So the goal of ballroom dancing is not to be
authentic recreations of this or that ethnic dance, but rather to simply extract some of the
features of certain folk dances and have fun with them. The same pretty much goes for
the music in ballroom dancing.
Ballroom has always been very popular in Europe and its popularity is growing
rapidly here. Ballroom dancing can range from serious competitive sport to the more
common social events by dance clubs or holiday dances. A successful orchestra for these
events will have to display more than a "seat of the pants" knowledge of compatible
music. You can make all kinds of music that sounds good to listen to, but if a person can't
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dance to it, you are playing for a concert and not a dance!
A "society" dance is also a ballroom dance event. Generally the people involved
are people with money and/or position who tend as a group to be persons who as part of
their upbringing have been schooled in ballroom dancing as a "social skill". Thus playing
music for such a group requires that the band have some minimum knowledge of what
music for ballroom dancing requires. I might mention in passing, that because certain
segments of "society" folks often admire all things British, a "society gig" can often include
a larger number of "Quickstep" tunes than a normal social dance might.

Why is this book only for bandleaders and drummers, what about the rest of the
band?

When you take a "dance" gig, your success will depend upon what the dancers
think of your music. This will be true whether you are a DJ or live band. And what dancers
think will depend upon how easy your music is to dance to. There are two keys that
dancers look for in any tune: Tempo and the Groove.
The basic fact is that the bandleader kicks off the tune and sets the tempo and the
drummer sets the groove that dancers will be listening for while doing "steps". It is an
ironic fact of life but the rest of the band can virtually play anything, anyway they wish and
none of the dancers will notice (except, perhaps, for a sour note or two. ). It is a
common practice for dance classes to be held with only drums as the "band". Tempo and
drums, it's all a dancer really needs! But without those two things the dance can easily fail
no matter how "big" is the rest of the band.
Next in importance to the dancers after the bandleader and the drummer would be
the bass player. Drums and bass are clearly the essential elements of the "groove". But
generally speaking, given a choice the dancers prefer to "key" on the drums rather than
the bass, but dancers will use the bass player as a "key" if the drummer is absent or
clueless. This is especially true in Latin dances. But for the purpose of this little book we
are assuming the drummer is taking the lead and the bass player will simply be locking in
with the "key" set by the drummer.

Are you saying that all the bandleader does for the band is set the tempo of each
tune?

No. But that is probably the most important thing he/she does! The next most
important thing the leader does is call the tunes. The reason people are into ballroom
dancing is because of the variety it offers. If they wanted thump, thump, thump all night,
they'd go to a disco. If they wanted swing all night, they'd join a swing club. If all they knew
was salsa, they'd be out at some Latino dance. Ballroom dancers basically want it all!
While some dancers will obviously know more dance styles than others, virtually all are
there because of the variety of styles they expect to be dancing throughout the evening.
For this reason calling the tunes becomes essential to the gig. The leader has to
not only mix it up, but mix it up in the right proportions. If the band concentrates on
Viennese waltzes or Quickstep tunes (except perhaps at a "society" gig), people will be
unhappy because these are difficult dances and the great majority of the dancers will sit

5
them out. The few advanced dancers in the crowd, however, will love them. But even
advanced dancers will get worn out if one strenuous dance number is played after
another. It's important to slow it down and give the dancers a rest between butt-kickin'
numbers. The point being here, that it is the bandleader's job to judge the crowd and
provide the mix that fits people present. In most situations, one Viennese and one
Quickstep number is usually sufficient for a whole evening of social dancing.
If you play too many tunes of your band's "specialty" whatever it is, even popular
dances like foxtrot or big band swing will still start to get the dancers bored if a little variety
is not called into the mix.
Another facet of calling the tunes relates to the common practice of giving dance
events a "theme". The bandleader ideally should at least give a nod to the theme of the
dance. If, for example, the dance theme is "south of the border" then a few more Latin
numbers should be included. If the theme is "big band swing" then adjust appropriately. I
cannot over emphasize how tricky picking the tunes can be. Every dancer, every dance,
every crowd is different. The age of the average dancer in the crowd can make a huge
difference in what mix of dances will be most appreciated. It's always wise for the band
leader to get with people putting on the dance event beforehand to get a feel for the kind
of mix that particular crowd will be looking for.
Finally, one of the biggest faux pas that bandleaders make is to not understand the
tradition of ending a dance with a slow cuddly tune. The concept is that the "last dance" is
to be danced with the person you took to the dance and a close cuddle (slow dance) to
top off the evening is considered the order of the day. The traditional "ending" tune is
"Good Night Sweetheart" played at Slow-Dance tempo. (Check the dance listings below to
see what that means.) Of course if your band has a nice slow theme song, that works too.
I've seen countless clueless bandleaders call some rousing swing tune as the last dance
and it not only destroys everything the band has built to that point but also send out a loud
statement that you know nothing about music for dancing! A word to the wise…

But I'm a drummer. The leader calls the tune and kicks it off, but this has nothing to
do with me! I just play what I'm told.

It's true that for a drummer the choice of music and tempo are often not in your job
description, but the really bad news is that the entire success of the evening is resting
solely upon your shoulders! Remember what I said about the dancers being able to dance
to only a drummer? As a drummer YOU are the connection between the band and the
dancers. If the dancers "love the band" it really means they "love the job the drummer is
doing!" You are the focus of the whole evening! Quite a responsibility!
If you want proof of this, look at the roots of dancing. In African or American Indian
culture dance is common for ceremonies of various kinds. The "band" is often simply a
drum or group of drummers. The connection between drum rhythms and moving your
body seems an ingrained human phenomenon common to all cultures. The rhythms and
body movements change dramatically from culture to culture, but the dancer-drum
connection remains constant.
In Africa, even today, each major ceremony, a wedding, a crop planting, a
welcoming, is celebrated with a characteristic rhythm and a characteristic dance. The

6
same thing more or less follows into the world of ballroom dancing. Each dance (which
typically represents a given culture, country or historical period) has it's own set of rhythms
and body movements. When the drummer is true to the rhythmic requirements of each
given dance there is harmony between the body movements and the music. When the
drummer plays a rhythm that rightfully belongs to some other dance, pandemonium
ensues on the dance floor.
Consider that there is this "language" that the drummer is speaking to the dancers.
Indeed the very reason dancers want a band rather than a drum machine for a dance is
this communication between them and the drummer(s). Dancing with a band is very much
like playing jazz. Ideally, artistic, musical, and rhythmic ideas flow back and forth between
dancers and the band. When the dance is "cooking" dancers and the band (drummer) will
be "trading 4s" just as musicians in a jazz band would do. When it happens, it's quite an
experience for all concerned!

If a drummer is THAT important they why are DJs so popular for dancing these
days?

One reason is cost. Bands tend to cost more than Disc Jockeys. But more
important is that many dancers have lost that connection with live music. Back in the big
band swing days, live music was common enough (and done correctly enough) that a
great many dancers felt that connection. Check out some old movies of Jitterbug dancing
to bands like that of the great drummer Chick Webb. You can immediately sense the tight
connection between the dancers and the band.
But the sad fact is that bands themselves also cut that connection when jazz went
from swing to new directions where dancing was banned. The result is that jazz went from
mainstream to backwaters while rock and roll that encouraged the dance connection
came to the fore. Today, ballroom dancing is gaining in popularity. It is even going to be
an Olympic "sport", but unless bands and especially drummers reestablish that rhythm-
music-body motion connection, "dance music" will continue to be little more than a
"metronome" for dancing. My purpose in this little book is to lay this all out in hopes that
not only will live music find it's way back into dancing, but that expressive connection will
once again be available so if nothing else I can enjoy it!

I understand your point, so how exactly does a band "connect" with dancers?

The key, as I pointed out above, is playing the correct rhythm that is appropriate to
each given dance. When a rhythm appropriate to a different dance is played, that dancer-
band connection disappears. Each dance is an entity unto itself. Each dance has it's own
tempo and it's own rhythm. Deviate from those and all is lost.
The reason each dance is it's own little world is because the various dances that
ballroom dancers do have sprung out of widely divergent cultures. The Viennese Waltz
comes out of swirling Cinderella balls in the palaces of Europe, Swing out of Harlem
dancehalls, Cha Cha from Cuba, Tango from Argentina, Salsa (Mambo) from El Barrio
clubs in New York city and so on. Each dance has it own cultural baggage that "flavors"
the proceedings. Each dance and the music behind the dance is it's own little world that

7
somehow the orchestra must at least "imply" in some faithful manner.
Without that cultural connection in each dance, there will be no "connection" from
the band to the dancers.

Wait a minute! Are you saying that out band needs to be able to authentically
reproduce any number of cultural music styles? This seems beyond what we can
do.

No. Note that above I said imply the culture behind the dance. It is obviously
expecting too much to ask a band on one dance to sound like a Vienna string orchestra
and on the next sound like an authentic New York Latin salsa band. But what a band can
do is have a drummer who knows how to imply the essence of each separate style of
music. What you will discover, is that as you imply essence, dancers will respond to that
which you are implying! This is that connection I've been talking about! Believe it of not,
but what is happening on the dance floor can be controlled right from the drum throne!

So how exactly does one "imply essence"!

The essence of any dance revolves around the rhythmic patterns in the music for
that dance. The drummer will create those patterns and the dancers will have an ear
tuned to the drummer to get the cues they need to dance.
The first thing to get into your mind is that each dance is a separate entity. You are
not playing "Latin" tunes, or "big band" tunes etc. Both the bandleader and drummer
must firmly set in their mind before you begin the number just what dance you intend this
tune to be. Forget the title on the chart! It makes no difference if the tune says "Blue
Tango" or "One Note Samba" that alone will not make the music suitable for dancing a
Tango or Samba if you aren't implying essence! A good drummer can turn just about any
tune into any dance he/she wishes by simply adjusting the tempo and the groove! If you
want the "Blue Tango" really to be a Tango, the drummer must be playing the
characteristic Tango beat and the leader must have kicked it off at a danceable Tango
tempo. If the drummer is playing a swing beat at a Swing tempo, that music is not a
Tango no matter what the title says!
So having picked a dance in your mind that the next tune is to be, it is absolutely
essential that the tune be kicked off at the proper tempo. A person's body is comprised of
mass. And mass has a property known as "inertia". What this means, in a practical case,
is that moving a large heavy body around takes some muscular effort. It is not the same
as flipping the light keys on a saxophone or a pair of drumsticks. When the tempo is
wrong you are asking dancers to force motions with pure physical force! This is tiring and
can get to be rather unpleasant after a while. (Dancers forced to do this can get rather
unpleasant after a while too!  )
A similar thing happens when tempos are too slow for a given dance. In dance
movement, body parts are often swung around like pendulums. When the tempo of the
music matches the natural frequencies of your arms and legs, the dancers get lots of body
movement without a lot of muscular effort. Slow a tempo down and now the dancers are
fighting the natural frequencies of their own bodies and generally have to apply additional

8
muscular forces to achieve that control. Doing so again becomes tiring and unpleasant.
Therefore, one finds that each given dance usually has a "sweet spot" or tempo at
which the dance looks and feels great requiring a minimum of dancer effort to achieve
great looks. This is why tempo is SO important in dance music. Tempo may be of little
importance if you are giving a concert since nobody is trying to move more than tapping a
toe to your music, but if there are dancers trying to move whole bodies, tempos that make
for great sounding concert music may not be suitable for dancing.
Its really pretty simple: Choose the dance you intend to play for with each number
and then kick off the tune at the "sweet spot" tempo for that given dance. Unless you are
a practiced dancer, use a metronome or click rather than the seat of your pants to
set this tempo!

Hey, I'm a bandleader, I think I've got a pretty good ear, why are you getting on my
case?

I'll tell you why. My experience shows that most bandleaders have a great ear for
the music they play, but usually kick off tunes the way they hear them in their head. What
I mean is they think, "this next tune goes dum, da, dum, da, dum etc." and they count it off
maybe the way they heard it on a record, or the way they think it sounds the best!
Get that word? "sounds"! Remember I just told you that you are not playing a
concert. "Sounds best" works great for a concert, but will fail miserably at a dance.
Bottom line here is: Sweet spot tempo! Metronome! Don't let your ego change it!

Hey, I know my music, why should I let some "hoofers" tell me how to play?

Sure your ego is telling you what a great musician you are, but it will be hard to
keep telling yourself that when you are getting scathing reviews from the dancers. My
father was a drummer (not a dancer) and he used to hate to play for "hoofers" as he
called them. It seems they never liked the way he played and were always telling him how
to change it. Until I began to dance I never understood what was going on. Basically my
dad did not understand the points I just made above. He played in a way that he thought
"sounded good" but never considered the physical necessity of moving ones body in time
with his music! Hence arguments ensued.
But even with my dad, the "hoofers" won. Let's face it. It's the music "business"
and the dancers are your customers! If the customer is not happy they don't call you
back!
Enough said!

OK. But so far you've only covered setting a "sweet spot" tempo to "imply the
essence" of a dance. Is that it?

No, that's not "it", but it's a really good start. And before I move on, let's cover one
final point about tempo. Tempo should never change during a number. A tempo that
begins in a "sweet spot" for a given dance and then suddenly shifts to a new one
completely out of range will create pandemonium on the dance floor. Musical pauses,

9
should also keep the beat going. Ballroom dancers are trained to keep a steady beat
going no matter if the music stops, slows, or changes. "Pregnant pauses" in your music
which skip a beat or two are sure to create panic among the dancers. It also makes your
band seem quite unprofessional to them. Without realizing it, you may have inadvertently
switched all the dancers from the left to the right foot! That is why they all must shuffle
around to get their steps back on the proper feet!
Keep that steady beat underlying all you do as if you were playing to a click track
though pauses, ritardando or other artistic expressions. I do not mean you cannot pause,
retard or otherwise play over the basic beat, but when the artistic expression is over, the
music must come right back onto that persistent, invariable, click track as if you'd never
left it at all. The drummer and bandleader really need to guide the band in this.
The second most important part of "implying the essence" is playing the
characteristic rhythm for a given dance. Since the various dances come out of various
cultures, there are characteristic body motions (which are of no concern to the band) and
characteristic rhythms (which are of great concern to the band, especially the drummer)
that go with each style of dance.
In the second part of this book we will go over each dance separately listing "sweet
spot" tempos and what needs to be implied rhythmically to "imply the essence" of each
one. To show you what we mean let me say for example that a Cha Cha is quite easy for
a band to "imply". In your mind choose a Cha Cha as the next dance. Kick off the tempo
at 120 bpm. (exactly!) Finally, get a nice loud cowbell playing 1/4 notes with perhaps a
scratcher doing swoosh-swoosha shoosh-swoosha and almost any tune becomes a nice
Cha Cha! What the horns are doing doesn't matter. Dig. The 120 tempo means that one-
two-cha-cha-cha foot motion can be done without strain. The loud cowbell 1/4 notes are
what all the dancers have their ears "keyed" to. Their feet are locked to that cowbell, not
the band!
The bottom line here is that each particular dance will have a certain "item" the
dancers will be keying on. In Cha Cha it's the cowbell, in Tango they'll all be keying on the
quarter note snare hits and especially the snare drum roll that starts on the "and of 4" and
ends with a hit on "1". Without that snare roll, Tango dancers are forced to extract the
beat from the melody, which is much harder to do. It makes dancing much more difficult
since dancers are typically trying to think about what steps they will be doing next, rather
than taking time to figure out where the beat they need is in what the band is trying to
play!
Remember this fact: dancers choreograph their movements on the fly as they
go! Generally, dance steps are not pre-arranged in a routine as they might be in a stage
show or the like. So when the band gives dancers the "key" beats for a given dance it
means they don't have to count and spend valuable mental effort on tracking the music.
They can use their brains to deal pretty much exclusively with choosing dance steps…
which is exactly what they want to be doing!

So is that it? "Sweet Spot" tempo and a rhythmic "key" unique to each dance that
allows the dancers to "lock" to the music? It seems too simple.

10
 In a way it is too simple, because there is obviously much more than this. But my
point here is that the rest is largely "icing on the cake". The difference musically between
quarter notes on a cowbell and a full blown salsa band is wide. But it is nowhere near as
wide a gulf to a dancer as that between a band playing a Cha Cha with that cowbell "key",
and one trying to pretend to play a Cha Cha without it!
Once you've got the tempo correct and the "key" rhythm going, dancers will start to
be happy. Musically, after that, you can hone your craft as much or as little as you like.
The point here is that you do not need killer horns or black page arrangements to be
called back for the next dance gig!
Giving dancers what they want is actually so simple that it's a mystery to me why I
seem to encounter so few bands that actually do this! Probably one reason is that
musicians tend not to be dancers. I know I never knew how to dance when I regularly
played in polka bands. Obviously I eventually figured out at least what polka dancers
were looking for, but sad to say, I remained as clueless as most drummers when it came
to playing for ballroom dancing…until I myself started taking dance lessons. Then all the
complaints I used to get from "hoofers" suddenly began to make sense to me!

So are you telling us that all the band members should go out and get a few dance
lessons?!!

Well, Bunky, it certainly couldn't hurt! 

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The Ballroom Dances: "Smooth Dances"

"The" Waltz

The waltz is the quintessential ballroom dance. Everyone loves a nice waltz. Even
the most rank beginning dancer knows how to waltz…or so they think. Play a waltz and
the floor immediately fills with dancers. So why then are waltzes probably the most
butchered dance played by bands?
One reason is that tempo matters! The waltz is not a single dance but rather
three dances depending upon the tempo in which the 3/4 time music is played!

Slow Waltz

The dance that ballroom dancers usually expect and seldom get is the slow waltz.
Dance movements are slow and graceful and the tempo is slow. The quintessential slow
waltz tune would be "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page. Go dig up an old recording of
"Moon River" and note that the tempo is 90 bpm NOT 130 bpm! The Tennessee Waltz is
85 bpm.
The tempo range of slow waltz can run as slow as 60 bpm and such a tempo
allows advanced dancers to show off slow flowing movements, but generally is too slow
for most casual dancers. [Drummer hint: for waltzes as slow as 60 a cross-stick on 3 will
do wonders for your groove.]
90 bpm is the "sweet spot" and slow waltzes should never be played faster than
110 bpm! I repeat: slow waltzes should never be played faster than 110 bpm! If you
are playing something in 3/4 time faster than 110 bpm it is not a slow waltz! The problem
with playing waltzes faster than 90 bpm "sweet spot" is that a dancer doing slow waltz
steps must use begin to use muscle power to force the higher speed motion. It becomes
uncomfortable and tiring. Nevertheless, playing waltzes too fast seems to be a disease of
epidemic proportions among "dance" bands.
Except in certain unusual situations explained below, virtually every waltz you play
should be a slow waltz!

Viennese Waltz

The opposite end of the spectrum is the Viennese waltz. It is played very fast and
should never be slowed down! This is the dance of the Cinderella ball. Swirling dresses
and men in formal wear spinning around the room!
But it is a difficult dance and many ballroom dancers have not mastered it. Thus, it
is a dance that in normal circumstances is limited to one or perhaps two times an evening
as a nod to the advanced dancers who may be present.
When I say fast, I mean a 3/4 time ripping at a blazing 170 bpm! The speed is
essential too. A Viennese waltz is a totally different dance from the slow waltz described
above. The swirling, spinning motion of Viennese dancing uses the momentum of the
fast tempo to spin the partners around. If the band is playing a Viennese waltz too slow,
12
the dancers cannot make use of that momentum and must force the issue with pure
muscle power. This makes the dance very tiring and the dancers unhappy very quickly!
But the bandleader must understand that a Viennese Waltz is not only fast, but the
dance step has extreme rotation and covers a lot of floor space! It makes no sense to
play one for a small crowded dance floor. However, since the dance is difficult, usually
only a few couples will attempt to dance it.
Always try to play a Viennese waltz at the "sweet spot" tempo of 170 bpm. To
get the idea think of all those classic Viennese waltzes such as "Tales from the Vienna
Woods" or the Broadway hit "Out of My Dreams".

Ethnic Waltzes

The range between Slow Waltz and Viennese Waltz is what I like to call "the
forbidden zone" and is where virtually all bands (unless gently guided by dancers) try to
play waltzes.
Strictly speaking the tempo range is not "forbidden" but is in fact a third and totally
different dance! It is the "ethnic" waltz. It is the German Oom Pah Pah thing. Bands love
it and drummers love it because it's just so "snappy" and so much easier to play than the
slow, draggy, 90 bpm tunes.
But a waltz in the oom pah pah range is, in fact, not the dance you think it is. As the
term "ethnic" waltz might suggest, it is danced very much like a polka! So if your gig is at
the "Little Italy" hall or the German singing society, people will love it. But, generally
speaking, ballroom and casual dancers will hate it and the reason they will hate it, is that
rather than dancing it as an ethnic waltz (polka style), they will attempt to do slow waltz
moves to the music. This will not work and require much effort on their part. Many of the
dancers themselves may not realize that 3/4 time music in this tempo range is a totally
different dance! "Ethnic" style waltz dancing is usually not part of a ballroom dancer's
repertoire.
So if you must play a waltz in this speed range, give the dancers a hint by
choosing a real ethnic waltz. Sing the darn thing in German or other native language!
In other words go the whole way, instead of just playing some American standard too fast
and causing trouble for the dancers...and yourself. Keep the ethnic waltz "sweet spot"
tempo a very polka-like 120-140 bpm. A typical "ethnic" waltz would the standard "The
Blue Skirt Waltz". And oh yeah, be sure to play it on an accordion! 

Waltz Summary:
1. Tempo matters!
2. The great majority of your Waltzes should be Slow Waltz
3. Slow Waltz "sweet spot" = 90 bpm
4. Slow waltz not slower than 60 bpm never faster than 110 bpm
5. Cross-stick on "3" works well for very slow tempos
6. Viennese waltz "sweet spot" = 170 bpm…never slower!
7. Usually one or two Viennese waltzes an evening is enough.
8. "Ethnic" waltz "sweet spot" is "polka speed" about 120-140 bpm.
9. Acceptability of "Ethnic" Waltz tunes depends on venue.

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10. Waltzes at "Ethnic" speed are usually not acceptable at ballroom events.
Slow Dance, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Swing

To show you just how important tempo is to dancing, we are going to cover the
most of the remaining "smooth" (means non-Latin) dances and show that except for one
or two "style" things, for the band the different dances are largely simply a matter of
tempo.
What you'll find is that Slow Dance as the name implies is a dance to the slowest
tempos, Foxtrot is a moderate tempo dance, and Quickstep, again as the name implies is
done to the fastest tempos. Swing is another dance style altogether, but has such a vast
variety of variations that it completely brackets the above tempo ranges from foxtrot to
quickstep. [Technically, dancers class Swing as a "Latin" dance, but we are grouping it
with the "smooth" dances because of the music being the same or similar.]
Because Swing tempo ranges bracket the other dances it is common for some
couples to be dancing Swing while others are dancing Foxtrot at the same time. The same
is true for Swing and Quickstep for very fast tempos. Dance etiquette dictates that swing
dancers move to the center of the floor while Foxtrot or Quickstep proceeds around the
perimeter.
It's usually a good idea for the bandleader to remind the dancers of this since often
they tend to not be as "polite" as they should and can get in each other's way. With fast
dances such as Quickstep this can lead to injuries which nobody wishes to see.

Slow-Dance

A nightclub dance, which really has no official ballroom equivalent, is called slow-
dance. While not an official dance, ballroom dancers do love to dance it so it should be
considered as part of the evening's music. In nightclubs, slow dance is typically danced in
a clinch while sort of stepping in double time to the music (which is very slow!). Such
dancing is often jokingly referred to as "polishing the belt buckle". Ballroom dancers have
somewhat less primitive ways of getting the same effect, but the music is essentially the
same in either case.
I won't say much about slow-dance, since there are many individual styles from
"nightclub two-step" to just "do your own thing" to "polishing the belt buckle". Dancers will
find their own level so none of this concerns the band. You may notice some dancers
doing slow dance will have changed their "hold" from the standard ballroom dance
position to one where the woman's right arm is held straight down by the man along the
side of her body or around the man's waist. This gives the couple a nightclub "look" rather
than the raised formal ballroom dance position.
The key for the band, however, is to keep the tempo slow! The "sweet spot"
tempo for slow dance is 60 bpm! Slow-Dance numbers are usually 4/4 "nice ballads" like
"Misty". They are excellent for a change of pace during the evening. Cross-sticking on
beat "4" or on "2" and "4" by the drummers gives a nice slow-dance "key" for the dancers.
But cranking the tempo up toward foxtrot range makes slow dance impossible. It
also may be too slow for foxtrot as well. This is a good way to clear the floor of dancers!
4/4 tempos between 70 and 100 should be considered a "forbidden" range. Tunes
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played in this tempo range are too fast for Slow-Dance and too slow for a comfortable
foxtrot. It leaves dancers with little alternative but to leave the floor and bad-mouth the
band!
It is essential, therefore, that the bandleader decide in his/her own mind if the next
tune is to be a Foxtrot or a Slow-Dance. There is a two to one ratio in tempo between
these two dances since the Foxtrot "sweet spot" is around 115 bpm. Playing ballads at
tempos halfway between these two dance tempos is music for a "concert" rather
than a dance event!

QuickStep

The fastest dance in this "smooth" series of dances is the QuickStep. It is the 4/4
equivalent to the Viennese waltz in 3/4 time. The tempo is very fast with a "sweet spot" of
200 bpm! The "key" is the bass drum which can play on every beat or just on 1 and 3.
The quintessential Quickstep tune would be "Puttin' on the Ritz". The classic single swing
tune "Sing, Sing Sing" is also a great quickstep number. I might also mention that when
you need a number of Quickstep numbers, any Dixieland tune played with a 2/4 tempo of
100 bpm makes excellent Quickstep music.
Music at this tempo is also danceable as "single swing" so there is overlap with
Swing in a manner similar to the Swing overlap in Foxtrot discussed above. The etiquette
of dancing dictates that those dancing Swing should move to the center of the floor while
those doing Quickstep move in "line of dance" around the perimeter of the room. For
safety it is always a good idea to remind dancers of this.
In a manner similar to Viennese Waltz, you do not want to play Quickstep music
slower than 200 bpm. Therefore, if you announce a Quickstep, it should always be
played at 200 or so bpm. If you announce a Swing tune, then any tempo from 200 down
to 130 bpm is fine. Also, analogous to Viennese Waltz, one or two Quickstep tunes an
evening is usually sufficient. For a younger crowd, a greater number of fast tempo tunes
announced as "Single Swing" can make sense.

Foxtrot

For the bandleader and drummer to understand a Foxtrot, you need to know how it
is danced. One basic Foxtrot move is 6 counts long (which is of no concern to the band)
where the first step is on music count 1 the next step is on count 3 and the final two steps
are on counts 1 and 2 of the next measure. The point of this is that for a foxtrot tempo to
be comfortable, a person stepping on beats 1 and 3 should be at a nice walking speed. If
you experiment walking like this at various tempos you can easily discover that the foxtrot
"sweet spot" tempo is about 115 bpm.
You should not play foxtrots slower than this. Try it yourself by setting a
metronome to 70 bpm (you do own a metronome, right?) Try to walk smoothly stepping
on every other click. Feel the tension as you try to match the slow tempo. Now step up
the metronome to 115 bpm and try this experiment again. Notice how nice it feels to
smoothly walk along at this speed. This is what dancers will be experiencing with your
music!

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 But it is not necessary nor even desirable to play all Foxtrots at the "sweet spot"
speed! We have warned against playing slower than 115 bpm, but there is no such
restriction against faster tempos! Any tempo faster than 115 is fair game! The reason
for this is that Foxtrot music is also Swing music. We will cover Swing later, but generally
speaking, the band picks a 4/4 tune in some tempo range above 115 bpm and the
dancers decide for themselves if they want to dance swing-style or foxtrot-style to the
music. Typically, they tend to choose Foxtrot for the slower ranges and Swing for the up-
tempo ranges but that is not always a sure thing.
For Swing/Foxtrot the band need only play their usual numbers and not be
especially concerned about catering to the dancers. If the bandleader announces that the
next tune is going to be a "foxtrot" then the tempo should be set to the 115 bpm foxtrot
"sweet spot", otherwise, any tempo 115 or greater is fine. To force a foxtrot, a kickin' tune
like "Steppin' Out With My Baby" at 115 bpm will whip the dancers into that dance.
Similarly, if you wish to emphasize the "swing" aspect of a tune, you can do that by
choosing a faster tempo and accentuating backbeats as a swing "key". Generally
speaking, the "sweet spot" for the slowest Swing step is roughly 130 bpm, but as you will
see the fastest Swing can range to over 200 bpm!
Except for the "forbidden" zone below 115 bpm, most bands seem to have little
difficulty playing 4/4 Swing/Foxtrot music for dancing.

Summary: Slow dance, foxtrot, quickstep

1. "Sweet spot" for slow dance is 55 bpm.

2. The tempo range between 70 - 100 can't be easily danced and is "forbidden".
3. Foxtrot and Swing tempos can cover a wide range above 115 bpm.
4. Swing tempos overlap Foxtrot and dancers decide which dance to do.
5. A Swing tune played as a Foxtrot is smoother with quieter backbeats
6. Quickstep is the "Viennese Waltz" of 4/4 time. Tempo should be 200 bpm.
7. Single swing overlaps Quickstep tempos and is often danced at the same time.
8. Warn Swing dancers about moving to center of floor during Quickstep.

Single, Double and Triple Swing

(East Coat Swing)

For dancers Swing is actually classed as a "Latin" dance! But here we are grouping
it with Foxtrot (which is classed as a "smooth" dance) because the music played for these
dances is essentially the same if not precisely identical. Generally a band doesn't need to
be concerned about music for these dances beyond the usual numbers played.
Swing dancing is a very mature dance style and as such has come to cover an
extremely wide range of tempos and music types. As noted above the range of swing
music overlaps foxtrot and quickstep tempos and it is common for both to be danced
simultaneously on the floor. Generally speaking the band simply plays music and the
dancers decide what style of dance they choose to do to it.
However it is possible for the band to "force" a given dance style by choosing the
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"sweet spot tempo for that dance and emphasizing the "key" to that style. But except for
choosing a shuffle groove to "force" West Coast Swing or Jive, usually a band does not go
out of its way to control the dances on the floor.
We have indicated that the slowest Swing tunes in the lower Foxtrot ranges are
danced to "Triple Swing". This Swing uses 8 steps to 6 beats. As the tempo of the music
increases dancers will adjust their steps to fit the tempo. They will remove the extra steps
used in "Triple Swing" at slower tempos. First they will back off from three steps to two
steps (hence the term "Double Swing" but which is actually a step or tap on each beat)
and then finally to a single step for each two beats. This last option is called "Single
Swing". As mentioned previously, this is the dancer's choice and usually is of little
concern to the band except in dealing with requests. This series of three dances together
are called "East Coast Swing" which refers to the style of the steps being done.
If a Swing tune is announced, regardless of tempo, the drummer should generate
loud heavy snare backbeats on 2 and 4 as the "key" to swing. Typically ballroom dancers
have few problems dancing Swing to most bands.

Triple Swing

Single, Double and Triple Swing form a series of Swing dances that are essentially
the same dance except for tempo and the number of extra steps inserted do deal with
those differing tempos. "Triple Swing" is the slowest of the whole set of dance styles
known as "East Coast Swing". "East Coast" styles are the normal styles you think of
when you see swing dancers be they "jitterbug" or 50's rock and roll dancers. The names
"triple", "double" and "single" swing come from the fact that dancers insert extra steps into
the dance to take up time when the tempo is slower. Thus "Triple Swing" is danced to the
slowest tempos while "Single Swing" [also known as "Single Step Swing"] is danced to the
fastest music.
Usually the music for this series of dances uses a straight 4/4 groove with heavy
backbeats. Triple Swing having the most extra steps inserted is used on the slowest
tempos. Triple swing comes out of the 50's rock and roll era and usually tunes from that
era at the "sweet spot" 130 bpm tempo will "key" Triple Swing.
Triple swing also can be danced to a shuffle or boogie groove as well. When using
a straight 4/4 beat in the Triple Swing tempo range it will be common to see some people
dancing foxtrot and others dancing triple swing on the floor. However, switching to a
shuffle or boogie groove, will force all the dancers out of Foxtrot and into Triple Swing!
The range of tempos at which Triple Swing can be comfortably done is 110-165
bpm. If you get a request for triple swing, a 50's rock and roll tune with a shuffle or boogie
beat at 130 bpm will force that dance on the floor.
Because triple swing comes out of the 50's the age of the dancers can play a
strong roll in how much triple swing they are interested in hearing.

Double and Single swing

As the music tempo increases, as we indicated above, East Coast Swing simple
removes some of the steps to deal with the increased tempo. Three steps are reduced to

17
two and finally to one. The dance style however remains pretty much the same.
Double and single swing dancing comes out of the 30's and 40's and is the style
Often referred to back then as "Jitterbug" or "Lindy". The music style to force double or
single swing therefore will be music from that era. Obviously, however, these dances can
and will be danced to music of the appropriate tempo from ANY era!
Generally speaking, dancing Double Swing is comfortable in the tempo range 150-
200 bpm and Single Swing is comfortable in the tempo range 150-230 bpm.
It is important to note that since this dance style comes out of the 30's and 40's
swing era, the style is conveyed more if the drummer uses the bass drum on every
quarter note for Double and Single Swing dance music.

Triple Swing, West Coast swing and Jive

(Boogie/ shuffle grooves)

Above we have indicated that Triple Swing can be danced to a 4/4 or a shuffle
groove. That is true. But there is also another Swing style of dance that is only danced to
a shuffle groove. It is called "West Coast Swing".
West Coast Swing, however, is a completely different style of dancing from the rest
of "East Coast style". But even though the style is quite different, West Coast Swing is
basically just another version of "East Coast" triple swing, although "West Coast" is
usually done in the lower speed ranges. It originated in places like Texas and the West
Coast (hence the name ), but it has become very popular in the East as well.
West Coast Swing is almost always done to a slow shuffle or "boogie" beat and the
quintessential West Coast Swing tune would be "Kansas City" played about 115 bpm The
music for West Coast Swing should have a kind of barroom blues feel to it since West
coast is basically a barroom dance rather than a ballroom dance. The defining music
grooves for West Coast Swing are shuffles. Shuffles also work for East Coast Triple
Swing, but in West Coast the 115 bpm slower tempo and that shuffle feel is one thing that
tells dancers this is a West Coast Swing tune. West Coast Swing can be comfortably
danced in a tempo range of 110-130 bpm.
East Coast "triple swing" is basically the standard swing step that has been
modified by adding additional steps to handle slower tempo music. The "sweet spot"
tempo for Triple Swing is about 130 bpm that is slightly faster than the sweet spot for West
Coast Swing. You may however, find some of the best dancers easily dancing West
Coast Swing at this elevated tempo. But if you get a request for West Coast Swing,
choose a tune with a shuffle or boogie groove at 115 bpm.
You should also be aware of a third swing dance known as Jive. In international
style ballroom dancing, there is no "Swing" dance. Instead they use a dance they call
"Jive". It is basically the "Double Swing" step but may have a slightly different "feel" to the
dance but that is only a concern to the dancers. The "sweet spot" tempo for Jive is 170
bpm. But the key to "Jive" is that the groove is a boogie or shuffle.
As you should know, a shuffle beat is a triplet based rhythm, with the "3" of the
triplets being played prior to each beat to give a da-dum, da-dum, da-dum, feel. This is
often played by the drummer on the bass drum. A "boogie" feel is similar except the
drummer and band play straight quarter notes on bass drum etc. while the piano or bass

18
does a rolling boogie groove to convey the shuffle feel in the tune.
Thus if you get a request for "jive" a shuffle or boogie beat should always be used!
Playing a boogie or shuffle beat at lower tempos tends to be a "key" that forces dancers
into West Coast Swing or Triple Swing (often both will be done on the floor
simultaneously), but a shuffle is not a essential for "East Coast" triple swing the way it is
for West Coast Swing. However, a shuffle beat does force dancers out of Foxtrot and into
Swing. Similarly, a faster shuffle beat is a "key" that the double swing style should be
along "Jive" lines, but the differences between 4/4 Double Swing and Jive are much less
well defined, so it usually isn't a concern of the band.
You may not realize just how much control the band has over the dancers on the
floor, but if you understand how it all works, you'll find this control is real and springs from
the very musician-dancer symbiotic relationships we've been discussing. This is why we
are stressing the idea that the bandleader needs to think not in terms of what tune will he
be playing next, but rather what dance will he be playing next!

Summary: West Coast, Jive and Triple Swing

1. A shuffle or "boogie" beat is used to indicate West Coast, or Jive.
2. Use of a shuffle groove eliminates foxtrot dancing from the floor.
3. West Coast Swing is the slowest swing with a "sweet spot" tempo of 110-130.
4. West Coast Swing always uses a boogie or shuffle beat with a blues feel.
5. Triple Swing can be danced to either a 4/4 or shuffle beat.
6. Triple Swing is slightly faster than West Coast with a "sweet spot of 130 bpm.
7. Dancers may be doing both West Coast and Triple Swing to a given tune.
8. Jive is a version of Double Swing done to a shuffle/boogie groove.
9. Jive sweet spot is 170 bpm the same as Double Swing.
10. All swings "key" on a heavy backbeat.
11. Except as noted, tempo mostly does NOT matter in these dances as dancers
typically choose their dances to fit the music.

The Ballroom Dances: "Latin Dances"

This is where most "dance" bands start to fall apart. Never forget this: There is NO
such thing as "generic" Latin music or a "generic" Latin dance! If a bandleader
announces that the band is about to play a "nice Latin number" he's really announcing:
"I'm clueless!" There are many Latin dances and each one has it's own Latin "key",
tempo, and rhythms. Announce the Latin dance you will be attempting to play and then
try to "imply the essence" of that dance. As we stated earlier, the drummer is essential in
generating the "key" that dancers will be listening for in each given dance.
Latin dances are very popular with dancers and of the Latin dances, the most
popular are the Cha Cha, Rumba and Tango. Usually these three dances will be the
majority of your Latin tunes.

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Cha Cha

Without doubt the most popular Latin dance is the Cha Cha. Even Swing dance
clubs play them to add a bit of variety. Almost any tune can be turned into a Cha Cha by
setting the tempo to 120 bpm, playing quarter notes on a cowbell and adding a few "cha
cha cha" licks for flavor. Proof of this is the "Tea for Two Cha Cha" which was a hit some
years ago and merely took the old foxtrot standard "Tea for Two" and added the Cha Cha
feel to convert it. Please note that the "cha cha cha" beats in the Cha Cha come on
the beats "4", "&", and "1"! DJ's should note there were a couple of recorded versions
of the above hit where the band put the cha cha cha licks on other beats and they are not
suitable for dancing!
And speaking of not suitable for dancing, one quintessential Cha Cha tune is
"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White". We mention this because there are certain
recorded versions of that hit which are also not suitable for dancing. In those recordings
beats are lost during the trumpet solo breaks in the tune. A lost beat changes the
relationship between the dancer's feet and the beats of the music and everything goes to
pot. You must never loose beats in a tune! A more modern Cha Cha tune would be "Oye
Como Va" by Santana. The recorded version of that one is an excellent tune to dance
Cha Cha to.
Generally the drummer simply emphasizes quarter notes with a cowbell and the
bass drum. For "flavor" one can play quarters or eights on a closed hat with licks
emphasizing the 4 & 1 cha cha cha. A scratcher (Guiro) going swoosh-swoosha shoosh-
swoosha adds a great Cha Cha feel to a tune. It often makes sense to recruit the singer or
a horn player to provide the cowbell beat. If you don't have a cowbell, the ride cymbal bell
will work in a pinch. In all it's a pretty simple dance to get so long as you keep the tempo
at 120 and have the cowbell "key" on quarter notes for the dancers. If you have really
good dancers on the floor, you can bump the Cha Cha tempo up to 125 to give it a bit
more "snap" but it should never be played faster than 130!

Hustle
Which leads into another dance which has a close relationship with Cha Cha. This
dance is called "Hustle" It is actually a close cousin of Swing, but is danced to what might
be called "Disco" music. The disco sound "key" is a VERY strong bass drum playing
quarter notes. Thump, Thump, Thump! Thump! If the drummer works the bass pedal and
the high hat pedal together (both feet move identically) while playing eighth notes on the
hat as well, you get that "disco" sound. But the trick here is that the Hustle music "sweet
spot" is generally played near 120 bpm and Cha Cha is always played at 120 bpm!
For this reason, any Hustle tune at 120 bpm is also a Cha Cha tune! You don't
even use the Latin cowbell and scratcher "feel" to get a really danceable Cha Cha. The
dancers "key" on the heavy bass drum beat. Plus, you have the added bonus that Hustle
dancers (who tend to be less numerous at ballroom events but still there will usually be a
few present) get to dance Hustle as well! It's a great second way to add to your Cha Cha
repertoire. The hint is that virtually any disco tune played at 120 bpm makes a decent Cha
Cha tune as well.

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Cha Cha Summary:

1. Cha Cha is a very popular Latin dance and you'll need to play many.
2. The tempo is always 120 bpm.
3. Emphasize quarter notes with bass drum and cowbell.
4. Quarter notes on a cowbell is a "key" that says "Cha Cha" to dancers.
5. A scratcher (guiro or guira) adds Latin flavor.
6. For good dancers you may bump the tempo up to 130, but never faster.
7. Hustle (disco) is danced to music with strong 1/4 notes on bass drum.
8. Hustle "sweet spot" tempo is 120 bmp the same as Cha Cha.
9. People often dance Cha Cha to disco "keying" on the strong 1/4 note bass.
10. You don't use the cowbell and scratcher with Disco music for Cha Cha.

Rumba

Another extremely popular "Latin" dance is the "Rumba". I'm using quotes here be
in actual fact the "Rumba" music you'll be playing for dancers is not authentic Latin
Rumba which is quite different. The Rumba you'll be playing and the dance dancers will
be doing both spring from a "Latin" fad back in the 1930s. It is actually a faster version of
Bolero rather than what Latinos call "Rumba". True Rumba springs from African folkloric
traditions.
Rumba is a very popular dance so you'll want to have many available in your band
book. The "key" to a rumba beat is a bass drum that goes 3, 4, 1 with no beat on 2. The 1
is emphasized and dancers have learned this beat by saying "quick, quick, slow. A "quick"
meaning a step on each beat and a slow meaning a step that lasts two beats. The
drummer should never use a foxtrot 4/4 style beat on the bass drum for Rumba. That will
really drive the dancers nuts! Once you've got the bass drum right any generic "Latin" beat
on the toms (or snare with snares thrown off) will work just fine for Rumba. Getting the
singer or a horn player to play maracas really helps the rumba feel as well.
Some styles or dance schools teach Rumba with Quick, Quick, Slow steps on
various beats different from above. This should not be of any concern the band. Let the
dancers deal with that problem.
A great many modern pop tunes use the rumba 3,4,1 beat. An example would be
"This magic Moment" by the Temptations, "Some kind of Wonderful" by the drifters or any
other hit with the same rhythm. However, it is important to note that some of these
recorded hits are actually a bit too fast a tempo for a proper Rumba dance. For example,
the Drifters tune is recorded at 120 bpm or Cha Cha range. Thus, if you use them for
Rumbas, you need to play them in the tempo range closer to the Rumba "sweet spot" of
100 -110 bpm.
A Rumba is supposed to be a romantic swaying dance and the band should
always try to keep the romantic flavor of Rumba music. While the "quick, quick, slow"
bass drum is the "key" for Rumba, a Latin flavor can easily be added to Rumba using
maracas and claves (sticks you click together). The claves should play a Rumba clave

21
beat which is a stroke on "1", a stroke on the "and" after 2, a stroke on the "and" after 4
and you finish by playing on "2" and "3" of the next measure. Be sure to move the beat to
the "and" after '4" rather than use "4" as most other Latin music does. A cowbell is not
played in Rumba. How romantic is a cowbell? 
We might mention that a Cha Cha at 120 bpm is danceable as a Rumba as well,
even though it is a tad fast. Thus, if you intended to play a Cha Cha and you see people
dancing the Rumba to it, it means you have failed to convey the Cha-Cha "essence". In
other words the dancers think your Cha-Cha sounds like a Rumba (or vice versa). This is
why a cowbell "key" for Cha-Cha and maracas for Rumba are a good rule.
There are lots of standard Rumba tunes most of which come from the era of the
fad we mentioned above, These include titles as "Besame Mucho", "Amour", "Green
Eyes", "Jungle Drums", "Perfidia", and on and on… And as we noted above you can
easily find many Rumba tunes among modern pop hits as well.
Some bands tend to play Rumbas at the same speed as Cha Chas. (120 bpm).
While danceable, this is just a tad too fast because at this speed the music starts to loose
that romantic feel and the faster tempo starts to make the dance seem "forced". Try to
stay closer to the 100 - 110 bpm Rumba "sweet spot" and keep your Rumbas "romantic".

Bolero

And while we are discussing Rumba, we should mention Bolero as well. Basically,
if you get a request to play a Bolero, you simply play a Rumba slowed down to the tempo
range of 70-90 bpm. The music for the two dances differs only in tempo. 80 bmp is a
decent "sweet spot" tempo for Bolero. As with Slow Waltz the slowest tempos can be
beautiful dances but the slowest tempos tend to be difficult for beginning dancers to
handle. A tune intended to be a Bolero should never be played faster than 90 bpm or
everyone will simply dance Rumba to it. In most situations, Bolero is no where near as
popular a dance as Rumba so choosing one or two Rumba tunes that sound good at slow
tempos usually gets you through a Bolero request.

Bossa Nova

Be aware that outside of Brazil, there is no popular "Bossa Nova" dance! If you
play a "nice" Bossa Nova because it sounds so "danceable" don't be surprised if the
dancers just stare at the band! Bossa Nova is basically a Samba beat but played so
slowly that one couldn't possibly do a Samba to it. But generally speaking, if you play a
Bossa Nova with quarter notes at half the Rumba speed of 110 bpm it works pretty well
for people to do the Rumba. Please note that Rumbas are written 4 beats to the measure
while Bossa Nova, like samba is usually written 2 beats to the measure. This is why the
tempo for a quarter note is halved! If you attempt to increase the tempo beyond 60 bpm,
the music will be too fast for Rumba and still much too slow for Samba and you'll clear the
dance floor pronto! So use care in choosing a Bossa Nova for dancing.

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Rumba / Bolero / Bossa Nova Summary:

1. Rumba is a very popular dance. Play many.

2. The "key" to Rumba is a 3,4,1 beat on the bass drum (quick, quick, slow)
3. A straight Foxtrot bass drum beat should NEVER be used for Rumba!
4. A "generic Latin" beat on toms will work for Rumba.
5. Maracas and/or Claves add nice "Latin flavor" to Rumba tunes.
6. The Claves should play the Rumba clave not the usual son clave.
7. Do not use a cowbell on Rumbas.
8. The Rumba tempos should be in the range of 100-110 bpm.
9. Rumbas played at Cha Cha speed are danceable but loose the romantic feel.
10. Music for the Bolero dance is identical to Rumba except for tempo.
11. Bolero music should be in the range 70-90 bpm.
12. Bolero "sweet Spot" tempo is 80 bpm.
13. If you use Bossa Nova as music for Rumba, be sure to keep tempo down to 55.

Tango

Ballroom dancers all love a Tango! It's just so stylized and flashy that it's hard to
resist. Orchestras on the other hand often have a great deal of difficulty with Tangos and
the fault usually lies with the drummer!
The "key" dancers listen for in a Tango is the characteristic snare drum beat. Like
Cha Cha, Tango is all about quarter notes, but instead of a cowbell, Tango uses the snare
drum to beat them out. Typically, quarter notes are played on the snare as flams! The
bass drum is also playing quarter notes. In addition, Tango has this snare roll that starts
on the "and" after beat "4" and ends coming down on the first beat of the next measure.
The basic tango rhythm is 1,2,3,4, & 1,2,3,4, & 1, 2 etc. The underline indicates a
drum roll from the "&" after 4 to "1" of the next measure. The roll ends with a good stroke
on "1". Often strokes 2,3,4 are flams. Another acceptable way to play this is using the
hihat by beating 1,2,3,4, and 1, 2, 3 etc., but you open the hat for the "and" of "4" and
close it again on "1". This gives a kind of imitation "drum roll" effect from the "and" of "4" to
"1" of the next measure.
Tango may be a Latin dance but it does NOT use "Latin" toms, shakers, cowbells
or other sounds common in Rumbas, Cha Chas and the like. The whole "key" comes
right out of the snare drum! Tango style is very staccato and should not be played too
smoothly. In Argentina the music is often played with an accordion-like instrument called a
bandoneon. The instrument is placed on the leg and the supporting foot is raised and
dropped to get a sharp pluse out of the instrument giving the staccato style. While your
band probably won't have a bandoneon player, you can simulate the staccato style of the
music.
But for decent ballroom Tango dancing, an entire authentic Tango band doesn't
need to be emulated, just the snare drum "key" described above. Common Tango tunes
are things like "Blue Tango", "Hernando's Hideway" and "Jealousy". The quintessential
Tango tune would be La Comparsita. Whip the drummer into shape and line up a few

23
Tangos for the evening! Tango tempos can vary, but the tango "sweet spot" tempo
occurs about 125 bpm. Note that Tangos usually end on a major 7 th chord which does
not resolve! The drummer does a snare roll which does not have an "ending" stroke or
cymbal crash either. They end sort of leaving you hanging. It's just the way Tango is
done!

Tango summary:

1. Dancers love Tangos. Play a few but not as many as Cha Cha or Rumba.
2. "Key" to Tango is 1/4 notes on snare drum and bass drum with a roll from the
"and" after 4 ending on 1 in the next measure.
3. The snare roll "key" can also be simulated with the hihat.
4. Tango does NOT have "Latin" tom beats and shakers even though it is "Latin".
5. Tango is played and danced in a staccato manner.
6. The quintessential Tango is "La Comparsita"
7. Tango "sweet spot" tempo is 125 bpm.
8. Tangos usually end on a major 7th chord that does not resolve.
9. The Tango end also has a snare roll with no ending stroke or crash.

Merengue

Merengue is often a dance popular with an older crowd because it's easy to learn
to dance. Popularity is also in part due to the fact that virtually every cruise ship has a
dance instructor who spends time teaching it to all the tourists onboard. The dance
originated in the Dominican Republic (the other half of the Island Haiti is on). The dance is
a very simple side-stepping motion so the music has much more in common with a march
than some of the Latin music we've discussed above.
Merengue, therefore, is different in that, like a march, it is a 1, 2 beat beat rather
than the usual 4 beats to the measure. The drummer should hit every beat on the bass
drum strong and hard. Merengue "flavor" comes from a metal scratcher known as a guira
that consists of a metal tube "scratched" with a wire Afro comb. The rhythm used to
scratch is "and uh 1 and uh two". The usual "Latin" tom beats, shakers, and other generic
stuff fill in well in Merengue.
The "key" to Merengue is the heavy disco-like 1,2, bass drum beat together with
the guira "flavor" rhythm . The "sweet spot" Merengue tempo is roughly 130 bpm. [Note
that this in 2/4 time not 4/4 time!] There seems to be a fad these days in Latino circles to
play three Merengues in a row doing the first about 100 bpm, the second at 130 bpm and
the third at a blazing 160 bpm or so. But for the less "authentic" ballroom crowd, a single
speed of 130 bpm usually does just fine.
We do want to note at this point that as far as the band is concerned, three dances
(Merengue, Samba, Polka) can all be basically covered with similar music. This is
because all three dances are a 2/4 "cut time" based music with a strong "martching" feel.
Music for Samba and Merengue are often nearly indistinguishable except for tempo
(samba = 100 bpm; merengue = 130 bpm) and the fact that samba always has that "uh"
1/16 note beat before the "2". However, drummers who cannot handle the samba bass

24
beat, often just play it like a Merengue but tone down the heavy "disco-like" beat to a
lighter touch. Then the difference becomes largely a matter of tempo and "flavor". The
same goes for polka which is also a 2/4 dance where the "feel" is just "squared up" with
strong back beats on the 1/8ths and the Latin "flavor" removed.
To hear one example of a Merengue for ballroom dancing listen to the tune
"Merengue" by Michael Lloyd on the soundtrack album "More Dirty Dancing". Note that
this rendition uses the bass guitar line rather than a disco bass drum to covey the
Merengue "essence" or "key". If you do not know what a "clave" is, it would probably be
best for your band to stick with our disco bass recommendation. We would however,
strongly recommend that you check out both soundtrack albums: "Dirty Dancing" and
"More Dirty Dancing" for an array of excellent examples of how music for the various
ballroom dances needs to sound. See if you can figure out which dance is represented by
each song on the albums.

Merengue Summary:

1. Merengue is popular with older (or Latino) crowd.

2. It is basically a 1-2 march type of beat danced with a side-stepping action.
3. "Key" is a very HEAVY disco-like bass drum beat.
4. "Sweet Spot" tempo is 130 bpm. [2/4 time!]
5. Merengue is very similar to Samba with the difference being largely in the
"Disco" bass beat. And the tempo. Many songs can be used for either by
changing the bass drum rhythm and tempo.
6. Check out the album "More Dirty Dancing" for an example Merengue.

Polka

I'm going to talk about Polka here even though it is "ethnic" and not a "Latin"
dance, because it is very much like Merengue without the Latin flavor. Polka tempo is 120
bpm counted 1 and 2 and. The 120 bpm refers to the quarter notes (1, 2) which are bass
drum beats. The "ands" are eighth notes and are hi-hat closures and strong snare back
beats. Typical cymbal rides are straight eighth notes or a pattern of "1 and uh 2 and uh 1"
etc. where the "uh" comes out of the standard count of 1 e and uh 2 etc. for sixteenth
notes.
If good polka dancers are present the tempo can be nudged up to 125 bpm to
make the dance a tad more "lively", but tempos should not exceed 130. "The Beer Barrel
Polka" is the quintessential polka tune. Having the keyboard player set his instrument to
sound like an accordion helps add a lot of polka "flavor".
The dancers will "key" on the bass drum and back beats which should always be
clear and strong. Some drummers try to do too much on the snare drum when playing
polkas and it isn't necessary. A simple bass drum, back beat and ride cymbal groove is far
easier to dance to. While strictly speaking, the polka isn't a ballroom dance, many
dancers love to do the polka and you may have requests for them. Makes a nice change
of pace for variety as well.

25
Polka Summary:

1. Polka like Merengue and Samba is 2/4 March-like music.

2. Polka does not have the Latin flavor and is played "square".
3. Strong backbeats are a Polka "key". Drums shouldn't overplay.
4. Polka "sweet spot" tempo is 120-130 bpm. Never play faster than 130 bpm.
5. Polka cymbal ride can be "and uh one and uh two" or eighths.
6. Polka is not "ballroom", but still a nice change of pace dance.
7. Quintessential Polka is "Beer Barrel Polka".

Samba

Samba is a dance from Brazil that was once a major fad in this country and then
sort of fell out of favor. But once again Samba is making a comeback in a big way. Samba
numbers should be part of your Latin mix!
As noted above, Samba is in 2/4 time and has a feel very similar to Merengue
except that instead of straight loud disco-like quarter notes being played on the bass
drum the basic groove can be described as "boom, chick-uh, boom" or "1, uh, 2" Again
the "uh" refers to the "uh" of the sixteenth note division of 1 e and uh, 2 e and uh, 1 etc.
"Chick" here refers to a hihat closure.
It is essential for the drummer to note that the "1 uh 2" bass is the "key" for
dancers. Usually it is the bass drum alone that says this is a Merengue or this is a
Samba! The difference being straight "disco" quarter notes for Merengue and the lilting
"boom-chicka-boom" groove for Samba.
Worst of all worlds are clueless drummers who attempt to play a Swing bass
groove to a Samba tune! It turns it into a Foxtrot or God knows what! For a drummer who
doesn't know Samba just think if it as a fast Bossa Nova. The "sweet spot" tempo for
1,2 samba beats being 100 bpm. Sambas can be faster such as 120 or even more, but
this is very hard on most dancers who are not practiced in Samba. Be easy on them and
stick to 100 bpm.
The quintessential Samba tune is "Brazil". Play it at 100 bpm with the 1 uh 2 bass
beat and your band will be kicking Samba butt! Part of the "flavor" of Samba comes from
complex rhythms that use syncopated beats on the "other side" of the eighth notes. But
this is a topic beyond the level we are discussing here. If the Samba bass is there,
dancers will be happy.

Samba Summary:

1. Samba is a lot like Merengue except the bass is not straight quarter notes.
2. Like Merengue, Samba is in 2/4 time.

26
3. The Samba groove is "1 - uh - 2" Where "uh" is the 1/16th note before the beat.
4. The Samba "key" for dancers is that 1, uh 2 bass beat.
5. Samba "Sweet spot" tempo is 1/4 = 100 bpm. (2/4 time!)
6. Faster up to 130 bpm is allowed, but hard on many dancers.
7. Quintessential Samba is "Brazil"

Mambo ( Salsa )

I've left the most troublesome "Latin" dance until last. Playing authentic Salsa is
quite an art requiring traditional rhythms and instruments. Mambo is actually an American
dance said to be invented in New York by traditional Rumba bands being influenced by
jazz. Today the dance is called "Salsa" but is basically the same dance and music as the
older "Mambo". The term "salsa" means "sauce" and implies that the dance is somewhat
more of a mix of dances today than in former times. In ballroom dancing the dance is still
typically referred to as Mambo.
But for the average band, the problem is more how to deal with the problem when
a dancer requests a Mambo or "Salsa" tune. Dare I say that for most bands, working up a
mambo tune into any degree of Latin authenticity is more effort than you may be willing to
put in. It requires Latin percussion instruments and a clave-locked bass line that will take
some time to get.
The usual answer for the non-Latino band is to work up a couple of pop tunes that
are easy to mambo to when played at the appropriate tempo. The quintessential mambo
pop tune is "Tequila". Another is "La bamba". Even the old Dean Martin hit "Papa Loves
Mambo can work. The trick is that rather than play an authentic Salza tune which is in a
clave rhythm at 4 beats to the measure of roughly 190, these pop tunes are more
merengue-like with a two-beat basic rhythm at 95 bpm with the bass drum on beats.1 and
3 of the 4 count tempo. Dancers will mentally double the tempo without a problem. Any
Merengue at 95 bpm will pass for a mambo in a pinch!
The tempo range for mambo is 150-230 bpm (if you are counting 4 beats to the
measure). Low end speed is for beginners. The original hit "Tequila" was recorded at the
low end of the range and for that reason is commonly used to teach beginning Mambo.
Another used for "beginner" Mambo is "Do You Love Me" by the Contours, but the "sweet
spot" tempo for ballroom dancers should be faster closer to 190. And the "Tequila" tempo
should be bumped up to that value at a dance. Latinos, on the other hand, will expect the
music to be much faster usually around the 230 mark and will generally expect it to be
closer to "authentic" as well. The band leader will have to exercise some judgement here
as to the composition of the mambo dance crowd.

Mambo Summary:
1. Authentic sounding Mambo music is probably beyond what your band can do.
2. The answer is to substitute a pop tune dancers can Mambo to.
3. The quintessential pop Mambo is "Tequila"
4. The "sweet spot" tempo for Mambo is 190bpm if you are counting 4 beats per
measure. 95 bpm if you are playing it with a 2/4 feel like a Merengue.

27
5. The tempo range on mambo runs from 150 (beginners) to 230 (Latinos).
6. Dancers usually "key" on the clave-locked bass line. If that isn't present (eg.
"Tequila") then they "key" on the 2/4 95 bpm bass drum beat and mentally
double it to lock into the needed 4 steps per measure.

Paso Doble
Before leaving Latin dances we should mention the Paso Doble dance. It is one of
the standard ballroom dances in competitions so you may encounter it. The music is what
might be described as "bullfight music". For an example look up "Le Danse de Feu" on the
old album "Castles in Spain" by Michel Legrand. If you are asked to play for Paso Doble
you will probably need to work up suitable numbers ahead of time with expert help.
Typically, you won't get requests for Paso Doble at social dances.

OTHER DANCES

Country Two-Step (And Country-Western fads)

While Country Two-step isn't a ballroom dance, many ballroom dancers enjoy
dancing it and you may get requests for a Country Two-step. One reason for this is a
recent fad of country-western dancing that swept the country. While the fad has pretty
much tapered off, the requests may linger on! This also goes for country line dances
which we will cover in the next section.
Music for a country two-step is pretty simple. Any decent country tune at the right
danceable tempo will do. The "country" flavor of the tune will give dancers the "key" that
this is a two-step rather than say a foxtrot. Note too that "Country Swing" is just the same
dance as a normal East Coast Swing but done to country music. Hence any country tune
in the Swing tempo range constitutes a "Country Swing" number.
Tempos for Country Two-step are very similar to foxtrot in that like foxtrot, the
dance consists of two steps each lasting two beats followed by two steps at tempo. Thus,
like foxtrot a good danceable tempo is one where walking on every other beat is
comfortable. However, country dancing tends to be a bit more lively than standard
ballroom so the tempo for two-step is best bumped up from the usual foxtrot "sweet spot"
of 115 bpm to a much snappier 150 - 180 bpm.
To those not familiar with country music, I should mention that the bass beat is
always on 1 and 3 and never uses the straight 4/4 bass on every beat that foxtrot
sometimes uses. Also backbeats should be strong as well. Listen to most any country hit
for pointers. Because of the 1, and 3, bass drum of country, the basic tempo of the music
would be 90 bpm going by the bass beat. In that case the dancers are stepping on each
bass beat which constitutes two quarter notes in a 4/4 measure. What you are doing will
obviously depend upon whether the tune in written in 2/4 or 4/4 time, but the basic walking
tempo does not change.

28
Country Two-Step Summary:

1. Country dancing is a recent fad that has spilled over into ballroom dancing.
2. The Country Two-step is a fox-trot like dance done to a faster tempo.
3. The country music sound keys the dancers that this is to be a Two-step.
4. The "sweet spot" tempo should be a faster than foxtrot at 150 - 180 bpm.
5. Bass drum is on 1 and 3 not on all four beats. Backbeats are strong.
6. The basic 1,3 bass drum tempo is thus set to about 75-90 bpm.

Line Dancing

If you play many dance gigs you will soon encounter requests for "Line Dances".
Line dances have always been a big hit with the senior citizen crowd and the recent
Country and Western fad has made line dancing even more popular. Line Dances are
different from normal ballroom dancing where couples dance more or less randomly on
the floor. In Line Dancing the individual dancers arrange themselves in rows on the dance
floor in front of the orchestra. Since dancers are not paired in couples, line dances are
very popular at events where there is an excess of women as it gives everyone a chance
to dance without being forced to pair up.
Generally speaking, Line Dances are not keyed to a given rhythm or style, but
rather each Line Dance goes with a given hit recording. Almost without exception you
always play the same tune for a given line dance. The quintessential line dance is called
the "Electric Slide" and is done most often to the recorded hit "Electric Boogie" or
alternatively to the tune "Think" by Aretha Franklin. However, this line dance is an
exception in that it at times it is danced to other hit tunes with a similar beat. But usually
when you play "Alley Cat" that implies that the corresponding "Alley Cat" line dance will be
done.
The Western fad has popularized a number of Line dances such as "The Boot-
Scoot Boogie" or "Achey Breaky Heart" done to the tunes of the same name. "Boot Scoot
Boogie" is a hit by Brooks and Dunn. Two popular "circle" dances which are sort of
modified Line Dances done with couples in a circle around the room are the "Cowboy Cha
Cha" which is done to the hit "Neon Moon" by Brooks and Dunn and the "Sway". The
Sway is done to slow C-W ballads such as "Look at Us" by Vince Gill.
Line Dancing is such a vast subject that any attempt to cover it here is bound to be
"half-vast". I strongly suggest having at minimum the "Electric Slide" in your repertoire and
perhaps a couple more. Line dancing is very faddish so it will be necessary to keep an ear
to the ground as to what is currently popular if you cater at all to the line dancing crowd.
However most bands try to keep their Line Dance repertoire to a minimum. See the
"Break" section for one solution to the Line Dance problem.

Line Dance Summary:

1. People dance individually lined up in rows for line dances.

29
2. Line dances give women a chance to dance when there are more women than
men at the dance. Line dances are also popular with senior citizens.
3. Line dances are linked to a single popular recording rather than a "style" of
music.
4. The Western fad popularized line dances and especially "Western" line dances.
5. The "Electric Slide" is the most popular line dance and is done to the Aretha
Franklin tune, "Think".
6. A few line dances are circle dances done with couples. The "Cowboy Cha Cha"
and the "Sway" are two such circle dances.
7. Line dances tend to be very faddish. The "in" line dance changes rapidly.

When the band takes a "break".

The above discussion of line dances brings up another characteristic of dancers

that may be different from your usual experience. "Real" dancers love to dance! When
the band takes a break, dancers really don't wish to sulk off to the bar or retire to their
tables. They want to keep dancing!
The smart money here pleases dancers by helping them do just that! Most bands
have a relatively decent PA setup, so you can take advantage of that by adding a CD
player and making up a couple of CDs to play during your breaks to keep everyone
dancing!
The "Break" CD approach not only allows dancers to keep dancing, but it will give
them opportunities to dance to the kind of music your band can't handle. You can solve
sticky problems like how to do decent Mambos or weird Line Dances by putting a
selection of them on your "break" CD!
Trust me, the dancers will love this and furthermore it will make your band appear
more versatile in their minds than you really are. That can only mean more repeat work!

A final word…

If your band is used to doing concert gigs, you are going to find the dance crowd a
bit different to deal with. First off, dancers are artists just like musicians! And because of
that, they all will have opinions and will be quick to express them. Furthermore, they are
interested in dancing, not music! Therefore, they will tend to judge your band not as
concert-goers do, based on how good your music sounds, but rather upon how easy and
inspiring your band was to dance to! Your ultimate goal as a band, of course, is to
produce music so inspiring that nobody in the place can keep their feet still! If you can do
that, the dancers will love you. Note that this is not the same as putting on a good show
that inspires a concert audience to wild applause. With a dance gig, the band plus the
dancers comprise the "good show" and thus, since you are all members of the "show" the
relationship is going to be different. Applause, if any, may tend to be polite.
Also since the whole event, including dancers, is the "show", the choice of dance
tunes made by the leader, the order of such tunes, and the appropriateness to dancing
will all enter into the final opinion of the gig. If the band plays some up-tempo "jam" tune
that continues on for 15 minutes, dancers will become tired, give up and be unhappy.
30
Jumping around takes a lot more energy than waving a baton or pushing the keys on a
sax!
Since choice of tunes is so essential it is wise to seek help beforehand from the
event management. Each dance event or dance club is different. The average age of the
members will often help dictate their favorite dances. Sometimes an event has a theme
that needs to be honored or a given group of dancers may prefer certain kinds of dances
over others. Hopefully, the club officers, or event promoters can give the bandleader
enough clues ahead of time to prevent too many grumbling dancers.
But while I've just given a whole book full of instructions on how to play music for
dancing, you'll find that since dancers are artists each will have an opinion on how you are
doing and most won't agree! Some will say your numbers are too slow, others will say
they are two fast! You can find some social dancers giving strong advice to the band who
may later be observed to be dancing without actually keeping time to the music! But if you
seek out advice from professional dance instructors we expect the advice you get will be
pretty much that we've given here. This is why I'm suggesting that the wise bandleader will
take the advice of individual dancers with a grain of salt (except for requests like play a
tango, or play a polka etc.). Allow this book and the event management to be your guide
to an "average" of the crowd. As you play many of these dance gigs you will eventually
be able to pretty much judge the crowd yourself, but even identical looking groups can
vary as to interests.
And its even worse than that! Since dance, like music, is art, the way dances are
done, the tempo and styles of the music one dances too and the general popularity of the
various dances tends to change rapidly with time. Dance fads are very common. New
dances are constantly being invented and sweeping the country. Thus, playing music for
dancing means that one must also keep an ear to the ground for the latest fads and
styles. The ballroom crowd is much less subject to fads than say the nightclub dance
crowd, but fads and new dance styles do appear in ballroom dancing. In fact, it's where
the current wide variety of dances came from! Once most of the standard dances of today
were once popular faddish new dances. So keep an ear out for what is currently "hot".
In conclusion, I again must point out the importance of the bandleader's and the
drummer's job. The bandleader sets the tempos which makes the music danceable, and
he calls the tunes, which from the dancer's point of view, means he chooses the dances.
The drummer must supply the "essence" which is the "key" to the given dance that the
dancers use to lock into the music. To keep dancers happy you must choose the dances
they enjoy dancing and then make it easy for them to dance them. It's an important job,
but not nearly as difficult or complex as it sounds.
We hope this little book has given you and your band a few hints that will make
your next dance gig a success. And that means they keep calling you back over and
over. Remember, dancers love to dance, so unlike some pop concerts which often tend
to be flash in the pan jobs, dance events go on month after month, year after year, and if
you've proven yourself to them, all that work is yours for the taking!

Keep 'em Dancing!

31
 Music for Ballroom Dancing Summary
Dance Tempo Example Tune Comments
(Sweet Spot)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Smooth Dances)

(3/4 time dances)

Slow Waltz 90 bpm Tennessee Waltz Play mostly Slow Waltzes! Observe Tempo!
"Ethnic" Waltz 120-130 Blue Skirt Waltz Use Depends on Venue. Make it "polka-like".
Viennese Waltz 170 bpm Tales from the Vienna Woods. Never Slower! One or two per evening.

(4/4 time dances)

Slow Dance 60 bpm Misty 70-100 bpm is "forbidden"!
Foxtrot 115 bpm Steppin' Out with My Baby 100 - 200 bpm is OK for General Dancing
QuickStep 200 bpm Putin' on the Ritz Never Slower! One or two per evening.

(Swing dances)
West Coast Swing 115 bpm Kansas City Beat should be a shuffle.
Triple Swing 130 bpm Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown Shuffle or 4/4 beat works (range 110-165 bpm)
"Jive" 170 bpm Use Shuffle or Boogie
Double Swing 170 bpm In the Mood 4/4 beat. (range 150-200)
Single Swing 200 bpm Sing, Sing, Sing Heavy backbeats! Bass on 1/4s. (range 190-230)
(All swing dances fall between 110 and over 200 bpm. Tempo is NOT important as dancers choose dance to fit tempo)
(Often Foxtrot and Swing, or Quickstep and Single Swing, or Triple Swing and West Coast will be danced at same time.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
(Latin Dances)
(Cha cha, Rumba, and Tango are the most popular "Latin" dances. They are usually the majority of your Latin tunes)
Cha Cha 120 bpm Oye Como Va Use Cowbell on 1/4 notes!
Hustle 120 bpm Rhythm of the Night Heavy Disco Bass drum on 1/4 notes!
(People do both cha cha and Hustle to Disco beat at 120 bpm) (Don't use Cowbell in Hustle)

Rumba 100-110 Besame Mucho Kick Drum on 3,4, 1. Maracas, No cowbell!

Bolero 70-90 (Any slow rumba) Same as rumba except for tempo!
Bossa Nova 55 Girl from Ipanema No popular bossa nova dance! Keep in rumba range.
Tango 125 bpm La Comparsa Tango snare beat essential! No "Latin" sounds.
Merengue 130 bpm "Merengue" from Dirty Dancing Heavy Bass drum on each beat.
Samba 100 bpm Brazil "One, uh Two" bass drum beat.
Mambo 190 bpm Tequila Substitute pop tune. Range is 150-230 bpm
Paso Doble 235 bpm Le Danse de Feu (Bullfight music)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
(Other Dances)

Polka 120-130 Beer Barrel Polka Use snappy backbeats.

Country Two-Step 150-180 (Any country tune) Country flavor "keys" dance.

(Line Dances) (Dances go by tune rather than music style)

Electric Slide Electric Boogie or Think by Aretha Franklin

Alley Cat Alley Cat
Boot Scoot Boogie Boot Scoot Boogie by Brooks and Dunn
Etc.

(Other Western "Circle" Dances)

Cowboy Cha Cha Neon Moon by Brooks and Dunn

Sway Look at Us by Vince Gill

2
When the Band takes a Break: Put on CD to "Keep 'em Dancing!"